I would suggest a reiserfsck (I'm guessing you're running reiser. People who have these sorts of problems usually seem to be).

Anders thanks very much, this fixed the problem.

On Sunday 30 May 2004 14:59, Patrick Shanahan wrote: /snip/

...

/bin/ls: kde3: Permission denied

you need root access, ie: su or sudo or sux... -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535

I can't believe that so much stuff is perms denied in these later versions of Linux. I could deal with the eralier versions. Now, someone please tell me what is the difference between su and sudo and sux. And why? --doug

The only reference I can find, in the SuSE manuals, is to su, not to sudo or sux. I also looked in several other Linux and Unix references. In Que's "Special Edition, Using Linux," is the definition: "sudo. You probably want to skip this package. It is basically a system administration utility and a potential security hole in the Linux system." That's as close as I can get. --doug On Monday 31 May 2004 01:34, Doug McGarrett wrote:

On Sunday 30 May 2004 14:59, Patrick Shanahan wrote: /snip/

...

...

/bin/ls: kde3: Permission denied

you need root access, ie: su or sudo or sux... -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535

I can't believe that so much stuff is perms denied in these later versions of Linux. I could deal with the eralier versions. Now, someone please tell me what is the difference between su and sudo and sux. And why?

--doug

On Wed, 2004-06-02 at 12:55, Jeffrey L. Taylor wrote:

...

On Monday 31 May 2004 01:34, Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

On Sunday 30 May 2004 14:59, Patrick Shanahan wrote: /snip/

...

...

/bin/ls: kde3: Permission denied

you need root access, ie: su or sudo or sux...

I can't believe that so much stuff is perms denied in these later versions of Linux. I could deal with the eralier versions. Now, someone please tell me what is the difference between su and sudo and sux. And why?

"su" is the standard command to change users. Plain "su" changes to root with the current environment (environment variables like $HOME, aliases, etc.). I.e., you run with root's permissions only. "su -" changes to root and adopts root's environment. I.e., you are essentially logged in as root (there are slight differences that usually can be ignored). And "su - user" changes to a user "user" with that user's environment.

Also you might note that "su" does -not- stand for "SuperUser" it stands for "Switch User". -- Ken Schneider unix user since 1989 linux user since 1994 SuSE user since 1998 (5.2)

Close enough. man su

NAME su - run a shell with SUBSTITUTE USER and group IDs

I know... means the same thing, but I feel, what the heck, if yer gonna get technical, be correct.

One must always be correct, if given the opportunity :-) Now I don't have an old BSD system handy any more, but I wonder what that ancient tome would say on the subject. Like Jeffrey, I recall switch user rather than what the current manpage suggests. Of course I'm old and the memory isn't what used to be :-) but I don't think I would have made that up. Bob

On Wed, 2004-06-02 at 14:01, Ken Schneider wrote:

On Wed, 2004-06-02 at 13:49, Bob Netherton wrote:

...

...

Close enough. man su

NAME su - run a shell with SUBSTITUTE USER and group IDs

I know... means the same thing, but I feel, what the heck, if yer gonna get technical, be correct.

One must always be correct, if given the opportunity :-) Now I don't have an old BSD system handy any more, but I wonder what that ancient tome would say on the subject. Like Jeffrey, I recall switch user rather than what the current manpage suggests. Of course I'm old and the memory isn't what used to be :-) but I don't think I would have made that up.

Bob

When I had my original unix training way back in 1989 the term quoted to me was "switch user". Now with linux being "unix like" some things will be different. I believe this is one of them.

Now we are getting way off topic.

Yeah, but it was fun. Wasn't it? -- Brad Shelton On Line Exchange http://www.ole.net Phone: 313-526-1111 Fax: 313-526-3333

Quoting Anders Johansson : [snip]

From the man page for 'su' in the seventh edition UNIX

Now you are getting back to my roots! Jeffrey Unix user since 1977 ;)

* Anders Johansson [06-02-04 13:51]:

On Wednesday 02 June 2004 20.39, Jeffrey L. Taylor wrote:

...

Quoting Anders Johansson : [snip]

...

From the man page for 'su' in the seventh edition UNIX

Now you are getting back to my roots!

Jeffrey

Unix user since 1977 ;)

and damn close to my own

Oxygen user since 1971 :)

oxygen user since 1941 :^) -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711

Jeffrey L. Taylor wrote:

Quoting Anders Johansson : [snip]

...

From the man page for 'su' in the seventh edition UNIX

Now you are getting back to my roots!

Shouldn't that be "/roots". ;-)

On Wednesday 02 June 2004 13:17, Ken Schneider wrote: /snip/ You may be right, but the term "super user" is used by the book "Teach Yourself Linux in 10 Minutes" by John Ray (SAMS). The book also calls it "substitute user," which I think I've seen elsewhere. (PS--I think he must mean 10 minutes a day, or something like that--maybe 10 minutes a page!) --doug

Also you might note that "su" does -not- stand for "SuperUser" it stands for "Switch User".

-- Ken Schneider unix user since 1989 linux user since 1994 SuSE user since 1998 (5.2)

* Doug McGarrett [06-02-04 20:15]:

On Wednesday 02 June 2004 17:03, Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

On Wednesday 02 June 2004 13:17, Ken Schneider wrote:

to the effect that super user was not the correct name.

...

I finally found my copy of "Essential System Administration" (Second edition) by Aileen Frisch (O'Reilly, 1995). Page 5 tells how to become the Superuser.

as: Superuser = root not as: su = Superuser

I knew I hadn't made it up!

correct words, wrong context. You didn't make it up, thou. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711

On Thu, 2004-06-03 at 08:22, Brad Shelton wrote:

On Wed, 2004-06-02 at 21:31, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

* Doug McGarrett [06-02-04 20:15]:

...

On Wednesday 02 June 2004 17:03, Doug McGarrett wrote:

...

On Wednesday 02 June 2004 13:17, Ken Schneider wrote:

to the effect that super user was not the correct name.

...

I finally found my copy of "Essential System Administration" (Second edition) by Aileen Frisch (O'Reilly, 1995). Page 5 tells how to become the Superuser.

as: Superuser = root

not as: su = Superuser

That doesn't seem clear to me.

I think what you're trying to say is that the Superuser is root, but that su does NOT mean SuperUser.

Would that be accurate?

(Boy this is gettin' funner).

That is correct. su = substitute user as in su - username will temporarily change you to that user (provided you know that users password). Leave off the username and it attempts to change you root. Superuser has become synonymous with root. -- Ken Schneider unix user since 1989 linux user since 1994 SuSE user since 1998 (5.2)

* Jake [06-09-04 16:17]:

On Sunday 30 May 2004 19:59, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

...

drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 96 2004-04-30 19:48 /etc/opt

NOTE: ^^^^ ^^^^

...

jake@linux:~> cd /etc/opt jake@linux:/etc/opt> ls /bin/ls: kde3: Permission denied

you need root access, ie: su or sudo or sux...

Patrick, with the greatest respect, if you're going to answer posts with "RTFM" as often as you do... you have to RTFWQ 8) [WQ = whole question]

Jake

(deliberately late-posted because actually your RTFM comments are right usually it's just you've not read my question properly twice now...)

I guess you will have to use a bigger hammer. I am lost and haven't even had the first cold one tonite. Please elucidate [wrt rtfwq]. -- Patrick Shanahan Registered Linux User #207535 http://wahoo.no-ip.org @ http://counter.li.org HOG # US1244711 Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/photos

On Wednesday 09 June 2004 23.21, Jake wrote:

On Sunday 30 May 2004 19:59, Patrick Shanahan wrote:

...

...

drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 96 2004-04-30 19:48 /etc/opt

NOTE: ^^^^ ^^^^

...

jake@linux:~> cd /etc/opt jake@linux:/etc/opt> ls /bin/ls: kde3: Permission denied

you need root access, ie: su or sudo or sux...

Patrick, with the greatest respect, if you're going to answer posts with "RTFM" as often as you do... you have to RTFWQ 8) [WQ = whole question]

I don't think this is a case of not reading the whole question, it's a case of not understanding unix permissions. Last I checked, you didn't have to be root just to cd to a directory owned by root. If that were the case, you would have some difficulty working a linux system, since just about everything is owned by root :)

Sorry, I see my mistake <blush> Jake

On Sunday 30 May 2004 06:01 pm, Jake wrote:

On Sunday 30 May 2004 20:08, Bob Pearson wrote:

...

An acl perhaps? "man getfacl".

Thanks Bob, I read the man page(s) and learned a bit 8)

You are welcome. I am sorry it was not the right answer. Best Regards. -- _/_/_/ Bob Pearson gottadoit@mailsnare.net _/_/_/ "Logic is in the eye of the logician." - Gloria Steinem